GEOB 401 - Group Research Projects Descriptions 1/5 Group Research Projects The objective of the group research project (20% of course grade) is to expose you to the process of designing, planning, analyzing, presenting and defending an experiment in urban climatology. In groups of three students, you will plan, implement and present your own project. The projects are either based on simple field experiments (1 day), data analysis or on numerical models you can run on a PC/ laptop (also within 1 day). Your group will present your experiment with an emphasis on the experimental design, methods, and results in a 12-min oral presentation on March 31, April 5 or April 7, 2016. A. SELECTING A RESEARCH PROJECT Use the attached list of projects to identify your preferred projects. Please sign up for a project based on your preference. A link with instructions how to select a topic will be sent on Friday, March 12 at 08:00 am. Please complete the form before Tuesday, March 22 end of day. Then, groups will be posted on the course page. The following symbols assist you in selecting a project based on your schedule / preferences: Involves field work. Requires to be flexible in terms of weather conditions. Involves outdoor work after sunset (evening, night). Requires enhanced computing background (e.g. administrator rights, statistics). B. CARRYING OUT YOUR PROJECT After the midterm break, you will be assigned a project and you can pick-up your instrumentation / software. The next step - and most crucial one - is to carefully discuss the details of your experimental design (site, methods, times, who is where and when, data sources, methods, what to model) in your group and carefully plan the details of your field or numerical work. Projects are loosely defined, and a significant part of the grading is focussing on how you have implemented, documented and planned your experiment (50% of the grade). We will put aside the class on March 8, 2016 so you can discuss the plans with your groups and design you experimental set-up. When working When working outdoors, act responsibly and do not carry out anything that endagers you or others. C. PRESENTING YOUR PROJECT All three group members must present their project in a 15-min oral presentation on the date assigned. You can use Power Point, Keynote, blackboard. Do not exceed 15 minutes. The presentation should include objectives (given), experimental design, methods, and key results. Each student in class is then asked to formulate and submit one question in writing via paper form, of which 3 will be selected by the instructor, forwarded to you and answeredr via email by you within one week following your presentation.
GEOB 401 - Group Research Projects Descriptions 2/5 Group Projects Block 1 URBAN RADIATION AND SURFACE TEMPERATURES (Presentations: March 31, 2016) 1A - Diurnal course of the thermal anisotropy of a single building. Objective: Quantify and discuss the diurnal (daytime) course of the thermal anisotropy of a single building. Method: Select an accessible and detached building well exposed to the sun (try to avoid much shading by trees and other buildings). Over the course of a selected day (sunset to sunrise, ideally clear sky or little cloud cover) monitor the surface temperatures of all facets (walls, roof) 3-6 times using the infrared thermometer provided. Based on your readings describe, quantify and visualize the anisotropy of the building over the course of this day. Instrumentation provided: 1 handheld infrared thermometer. You bring: Field book, camera 1B - Thermal anisotropy of an urban canopy. Objective: Quantify and discuss the statistically average thermal anisotropy of a large group of buildings for a given time of the day. Method: Select a neighborhood of accessible and detached buildings, with simple surface materials, that are well exposed to the sun (try to avoid a neighborhood with many trees). For a chosen time of a clear, sunny day, monitor the surface temperatures of all facets (walls) using the infrared thermometer provided. Try to take as many measurements as possible within a short time (max. 2 hours). Based on your readings describe, quantify and visualize the anisotropy of the neighborhood at the selected time of the day. Instrumentation provided: 2 handheld infrared thermometers. You bring: Field book, camera 1C - Mapping shadow patterns in a real urban canopy. Objective: Map the distribution of direct irradiance and shadows on a building, a group of buildings or a street canyon located in a complex urban setting over the course of a day. Method: On a clear day, sketch or record (e.g. photos, time-lapse) the distribution of direct shortwave irradiance vs. shadows reaching the envelope of your chosen building, group of buildings, or street canyon. Chose an area that is characterized by taller buildings - to ensure there will be interesting shadow effects. Based on your sketches, and photo analysis determine the number of hours with direct irradiance reaching various points or facets in your study area. Explain the results using solar geometry and implications for climate and/or urban design. You bring: Field book, camera, air photos, maps 1D - Modeling irradiance and shadows using Google Sketch Up. Objective: Using free 3D-model software, simulate direct irradiance and shadows in a complex urban geometry (or design a simplified geometry). Method: Using the free version 3D software Sketch-Up Make, you can model 3D buildings and simulate shadows as a
GEOB 401 - Group Research Projects Descriptions 3/5 function of latitude, time of day and season in quite complex situations. Use the capabilities to model the distribution of shadows in a real urban canopy or choose a simplified canopy to make generalized statements. Make judgements and quantitative statements about sunlight access at various locations within your modeling domain and implications for climate and/or urban design. You bring: PC or Mac that runs Sketch Up Group Projects Block 2 URBAN ENERGY BALANCE (Presentations: April 5, 2016) 2A - The micro-scale distribution of minimum air temperature in an urban setting. Objective: Map how the nocturnal minimum temperatures varies at ground level on the micro-scale (e.g. for a single property) during a claer-sky night. Explain your map of minimum temperatures. Method: Install several minimum-thermometers around a building you have access to - in locations of different skyview factor and materials (e.g. lawn under trees, lawn close to walls, open concrete area, etc). Install all thermometers at exactly the same height (a few centimeters above the surface, you may use bricks, wooden blocks etc.). Run them over a clear-sky night and read off the minimum temperature the next morning. Map the micro-scale distribution of minimum temperatures. The exercise should include an appropriate comparison / test of the minimum thermometers prior to the field experiment. Instrumentation provided: 5-10 minimum thermometers. You bring: Field book Group Projects Block 2 URBAN ENERGY BALANCE (Presentations: April 5, 2016) 2B - Variability of potential evaporation in urban areas. Objective: Determine the micro-scale variability of potential evapotranspiration in an urban environment using mini- lysimeters. Discuss the driving energetic parameters that affect evaporation. Method: Fill all mini-lysimeters pans with saturated, wetted soil (same soil). Weigh them in using the high-precision scale provided. Deploy them carefully at locations with different exposure to microclimates (e.g. no vs. closed tree cover, different materials, parking lots, etc.) - but within 1 km from each other. After a few days collect them and measure their remaining weight. From the weight loss and their surface area calculate the potential evaporation. Hint: Preferable for the experiment are windy, clear days with a dry atmosphere - avoid days when there is precipitation forecasted. Instrumentation provided: Mini-evaporation pans, scale. You bring: Field book, soil.
GEOB 401 - Group Research Projects Descriptions 4/5 2C - How does urban geometry control the cooling rates in a street canyon? Objective: Explore how long-wave radiation trapping and associated cooling rates differ for various facets and locations in an ideal street canyon at night and explain your results. Method: Select a simple (vegetation-free), accessible, and safe street-canyon where you can do measurements just before and after sunset on a clear-sky evening. Use the infrared thermometer to measure a profile through a crosssection of the street-canyon (wall, road, wall) in regular time intervals. Use your measurements to discuss how the geometry affects the temperatures observed and cooling rates in different parts of the canyon. Instrumentation provided: 1 handheld infrared thermometer. You bring: Field book 2D - Microclimate of an urban park. Objective: Design an experiment to measure and map daytime and evening (just after sunset) air temperatures, wind and humidity in a park (embedded in a densely built-up urban area) compared to the built-up are.a Method: Become familiar with the Kestrel data loggers. Think about the scale, how big the park must be, and where you expect differences, and at how many locations you measure. Draw maps or sketches of the temperature, humidity and/or wind distribution and relate properties to urban surface properties (sky view factor etc.). Do not leave any equipment unattended. Instrumentation provided: 2 Kestrel data logger. You bring: Field book. Group Projects Block 3 AIR FLOW (Presentations: April 7, 2016) 3A - Wind climate and pedestrian comfort around tall buildings. Objective: For a windy day, map the observed wind at pedestrian level (mean wind, variability) within an urban block that contains high-rise buildings or around an isolated high-rise building. Method: You will be equipped with hand held wind sensors, that can be used to read-off or log readings at predefined intervals. Select a day with strong, steady winds. Walk around the building / block of your choice and measure wind at pedestrian level, at representative locations. Carefully think about replications. Draw a map of the area and identify regions where pedestrians might encounter discomfort under observed wind situations. Explain why. Instrumentation provided: Handheld anemometers, software, data download interface (USB). You bring: Field book, maps (e.g. http://www.vancouver.ca/vanmap/ or GIC)
GEOB 401 - Group Research Projects Descriptions 5/5 3B - Wind around buildings modeled in ENVI-met Objective: Use a numerical model called ENVI-met developed for planners at the local-scale to assess wind flow around a complex building / block of your choice. Method: Download and install the freeware ENVI-met (http://www.envi-met.com/). Use the software to set-up your environment and then calculate a single run with wind from a particular direction to visualize the flow field. Discuss the model results. Is the model useful for planners? Detailed technical instructions will be given in an office hour / by appointment. You can collaborate with group 3E to exchange technical knowledge. Instrumentation provided: Software on CD. You bring: Computer with Windows, administrator rights, and at least 1 GByte RAM and 2 GHz CPU. 3C - Pollution dispersion in a street canyon modeled in ENVI-met Objective: Use the same numerical model (ENVI-met) to investigate the effect of canyon aspect ratio of an idealized canyon on flow patterns Method: Download and install the freeware ENVI-met (http://www.envi-met.com/). Use the software to set-up an idealized street canyon. Calculate several runs with same wind but changing canyon aspect ratios. Discuss the model results using slices of the wind through the canyon. Is the model reproducing expected canyon vortices? Speculate how the canyon flow patters with affect air pollution? Detailed technical instructions will be given in an office hour / by appointment. You can collaborate with group 3D to exchange technical knowledge. Instrumentation provided: Software on CD. You bring: Computer with Windows, administrator rights, and at least 1 GByte RAM and 2 GHz CPU.